Our lessons learnt about innovation platforms: how can we improve the innovation platform?
Four open space groups led by Navneet, Saksia, Birgit and Ewen
How to stimulate consistent participation (incentives and more) - NAVNEET
Regular interaction (meeting)
Meeting (strategic location, agenda well in advance, invitation letter - manage contact list)
All stakeholders points/wishes/expectation to be honoured/fulfilled; acknowledged and addressed
Role and responsibility of organizing committee to be well defined
Members (absent during meeting) to also be provided with minutes of the meeting
All stakeholders to be involved in action plan activiely (formulation and implementation)
Points/minutes from last meeting
Participation of women
Not all have to be present always
Contact with VC actors
Focus on in-between meetings
Sustainability of the IP: Should we ensure it and how? - SASKIA
IP process will continue to exist as long as VC actors see the benefit (added value) of it
Most likely VC constraints will remain but may change over time
Increase scope/diversify the role of the IP: now only goats, include cattle in future?
HOW?
By building capacity of non value chain actors especially facilitators of IP meetings
Resources: common fund from members; fund raising from other sources
However, if linkages between VC actors are well established, perhaps there is no need for IP
How to facilitate actions in between IP meetings as much as possible by VC actors? - BIRGIT
Actors have to see the benefits from the IP
How to deal with long distances? E.g. If president works with producers/model farmers in community 100 km away
Train field guide to facilitate between actors (providing linkages) e.g. charging for service should be (financial) interest.
Field guide acting as a broker -- who pays?! Public money? It can be a commission on transaction. Responsibility of project coordinator
First to facilitate that actions take place: can be anyone, e.g. NGO; follow up etc.
Other part: VC actors should do actions
Transition period: to help/support concrete actions (e.g. build improved shelters). Afterwards others can follow/copy actions.
Have a clear plan at the IP meetings. Ensure people know what to do and receive proper guidance.
Feedback and reflection at the IP meeting on why things have not been done -- accountability of all VC actors (including NGOs). Project coordinator can call after meeting to find out how things are going.
Link the government extension officers with paravets so that they can work together (joint activities or brokering)
How to facilitate IP meetings - EWEN
The first two lines on this sheet relate to the fact that facilitating IP meetings should be thought at two levels:
For each IP meeting (the 'operational' level), where you need to organize logistics, design the event (according to the elements of the BOSSY HERALD), facilitate and keep track of all kinds of elements in the meeting, document the meeting and follow up with decisions/actions taken.
The other ('strategic') level is to think about the series of IP meetings and to progressively involved IP participants into playing an increasing role in it by e.g. presenting projects and ideas, contributing to documenting the meeting, facilitating the meeting etc. so that further down the line they make the IP their own and take collective action to expand the IP (if they think it's relevant). This follows (somewhat) the marketing principle of AIDA:
Attract: Get the attention of your IP participants to your ideas/approach, i.e. to joining the IP.
Inform: Provide them enough information that they understand what, rationally, makes sense for them to join the IP.
Desire: Create/stimulate a desire to be part of the IP and to play a proactive role in it, so that they can make it their own.
Action: Get them to act! Organize the work so that they can act upon their intentions, needs, ideas etc.
When facilitating the meeting, an important thing is to announce what (exercise) you will do, to do it (and sometimes repeat what you're doing during the exercise) and to summarize what you did at the end of it.
Additional resources about facilitating meetings:
Every presentation ever (a video example of how a presentation / meeting should not be organized)
Examples of how ILRI organizes, facilitates and documents meetings and events on the Maarifa blog.
Find support on this topic and more on the ILRI Comms wiki (FAQ)
Buzz groups: "What would you do differently?" Two points per group
Mozambique
Give more explanation and advocacy on what IP is to, for example, government and community leaders to explain the value of IP and theoretical concept
Maybe select the IP secretariat after the first meeting (not during) so as to better know the members
Jharkhand
Identification of issues at goat keepers level first before bringing them to the IP meeting
Office bearers should be from the community from the inception only (esteemed persons/literate/have knowledge about the district and goat keeping).
Rajasthan
Preparatory activity or phase before launching the IP
Clarifying how the team sees the IP; is it a knowledge hub/ medium for exchange of information or a coordinating unit?
Closing remarks by Kees
Recap on the importance of IPs
IP is meant to improve the performance of the VC in terms of production, quality, transaction cost etc to strengthen the VC
Long and varied VC may make it difficult for sustained participation by all VCAs, hence the focus is on the production side which is more direct
Processes: IP helps to contribute to achieving objectives outlined in OM framework; teams are actually doing well in this. The IP helps us to reflect and improve.
Will this exercise be useful in 3 - 6 months time? Review problems/processes and identify the cause (is it to do with facilitation or information sharing gaps?).
As you reflect on OM processes, also reflect on the IP processes
imGoats project: Learning and reflection workshop
Udaipur, India, 2-6 July 2012
Our lessons learnt about innovation platforms: how can we improve the innovation platform?
Four open space groups led by Navneet, Saksia, Birgit and Ewen
How to stimulate consistent participation (incentives and more) - NAVNEET
Sustainability of the IP: Should we ensure it and how? - SASKIA
HOW?
How to facilitate actions in between IP meetings as much as possible by VC actors? - BIRGIT
How to facilitate IP meetings - EWEN
The first two lines on this sheet relate to the fact that facilitating IP meetings should be thought at two levels:
- For each IP meeting (the 'operational' level), where you need to organize logistics, design the event (according to the elements of the BOSSY HERALD), facilitate and keep track of all kinds of elements in the meeting, document the meeting and follow up with decisions/actions taken.
- The other ('strategic') level is to think about the series of IP meetings and to progressively involved IP participants into playing an increasing role in it by e.g. presenting projects and ideas, contributing to documenting the meeting, facilitating the meeting etc. so that further down the line they make the IP their own and take collective action to expand the IP (if they think it's relevant). This follows (somewhat) the marketing principle of AIDA:
- Attract: Get the attention of your IP participants to your ideas/approach, i.e. to joining the IP.
- Inform: Provide them enough information that they understand what, rationally, makes sense for them to join the IP.
- Desire: Create/stimulate a desire to be part of the IP and to play a proactive role in it, so that they can make it their own.
- Action: Get them to act! Organize the work so that they can act upon their intentions, needs, ideas etc.
When facilitating the meeting, an important thing is to announce what (exercise) you will do, to do it (and sometimes repeat what you're doing during the exercise) and to summarize what you did at the end of it.Additional resources about facilitating meetings:
Buzz groups: "What would you do differently?" Two points per group
MozambiqueJharkhand
Rajasthan
Closing remarks by Kees
Recap on the importance of IPs